O2 Wifi - Annoying Splash Screen

[Anonymous]

I have a 24 month contract, and am registered for O2 Wifi.  I am also a BT Infinity customer and have BT Openzone/Wifi.  BT is seamless.  As I move around, if it finds a BT hotspot, it connects and I get internet.  With O2, nothing works (like push notifications) until I go to a browser and it takes me to the O2 splash screen.  Once I acknowledge that, I get internet over O2 Wifi.  I have to do this at least once a day - not sure what the timeout is.

Why do we pay monthly customers have to put up with the splash screen?  I ruins the experience.  BT install a profile on my iPhone that allows me access without the splashscreen or login, and it's a great experience.   O2 need to do the same for paying customers.  I understand that they want the splash screen for non-O2 customers as there is advertising on there and their service is free. 

Today I received an email from O2wifi telling me that I'd used 3GB of Wifi (which I find hard to believe, but there you go) and pointing out that it's free.  That's nice.  But I'm fed up with the splash screen and therefore I am going to forget the O2 network in my settings and stick to 3/4G.  My tariff is for 8GB a month, and I barely use 1GB (probably as I am often connected to Wifi including when out and about [O2, Virgin on TfL and BT]).  I will now drop O2wifi and use their 2/4G data and add some load onto the network there.  When they can sort out the wifi splash screen thing, like BT have, then I'll be back on their Wifi and reduce the load on their celular network.

Sorry for venting, but hope someone somewhere will take note.  Probably not....

[MI5]

I'm guessing you have answered your own question, as in it is free and you don't have to be an O2 customer to use it, unlike BT WiFi.
There is an O2 app for WiFi, which I don't use, so I don't know if it does the same as the BT app or not.....?

[MI5]

This extract is from the Android app so it sounds like on Android it does what you want - Check if it's the same for iPhones......
"All you need to do is register using the free O2 Wifi app. Once you’re on, you’re on. No username. No password. You’ll connect automatically whenever you’re in a Hotspot. Easy."

[Anonymous]

Well, my point was that I am an O2 24 month contract customer. Therefore, it should allow me to skip the splash screen. BT also have a splash screen, but it is bypassed for customers who also share their Wifi at home as BT Openzone. BT can do it, and therefore O2 could, if they could be bothered. I suspect they can't. No problem though, I have 8GB over cellular and I will stick with that.

[For the record, the BT iOS app installs a "profile" on the phone to allow instant connection. You need to be a customer and log in once on the app to do that. Non-customers get a splash screen. The O2 app does not do that. Also, as O2 ask you to re-register when you get a new phone, they must be tracking the MAC address of the device's Wifi hardware and therefore could use a MAC address list to control who has to go via the splash screen. It's really not rocket science.]

[jonsie]

It's strange as my Note 2 connects straight away when in range. It's a shame about the limited number of hot spots available compared to  BT and The Cloud.

[Anonymous]

Same on iOS in that you don't need to log on. It remembers the MAC address of the device. However, before it opens up all ports to the internet, you need to view a splash screen with adverts and other useless information. The timeout seems to be once a day.

So, for example, I arrive in the morning at Canary Wharf, go to get a coffee, and find the Costa app can't connect to the internet. I see the full Wifi connection on the phone status bar. I have to go into Safari, navigate to a page (like the BBC), then I get the O2 splash screen. I click OK and the Internet is opened up. So now the Costa app works as it can connect to their servers. BT Wifi does not do that. It just works.

Not to worry though, I've removed O2 Wifi and will just stay connected to 4G and use that. I have plenty of data, but an putting unnecessary load on O2's cellular infrastructure. They created the Wifi hotspots a couple of years ago when their cellular network was struggling in places like Canary Wharf and other city centres around the UK. They could go the extra mile (not even that, just a yard or two) and make it easy to use but a twitter conversation with them implied they don't care. No worries.

[MI5]

I'm sure @Toby will be interested in feeding back your thoughts.....?

[Toby]

I certainly will guys,

Sorry to hear you're frustrated @Anonymous 

Would all 3 of you mind possibly listing the device that you need to (or do not) sign-in with every time you log on? Also the phone plan you,re on may help, as well as a general location. This will help me to feed back the info as there may be certain factors affecting this.

[Anonymous]

Hi Toby. I am on an iPhone 6 (was on 5S before that and same issue). I have a 24 month contract with O2 (unlimited calls, 8GB data). I don't need to log in each time, but as stated, my phone and the apps on there can't get to the internet on O2 Wifi until I browse, get the O2 Wifi splash/start screen and I click "OK" (or whatever) to acknowledge it before I can effectively use the O2 wifi connection. I have to do this every few hours if I've been away from the hotspot. It happens anywhere, whether in Canary Wharf shopping centre or at a local Costa coffee shop in a small country town.

BT get around this by installing a "profile" on paying customers' phones and then connection to their hotspots is seamless. Of course people who are not customers and don't have the profile installed have to log in. What I am suggesting is that O2 should do the same. I understand O2 Wifi is free, and that the splash screen is valuable advertising space, but as am O2 cellular customer I should not have to see that screen before I can use the hotspot. Otherwise I may as well just stick with 3/4G and use up valuable bandwidth on your cellular network.

[viridis]

No problems on the Z3, used on 2 spots today with no problems.